Pakistan T20 World Cup Euphoria: Now Plan for ODI's World Cup 2011

An unlikely winner Pakistan may be of the T20 World Cup, but the team elevated its performance just at the moment when it was staring at the exit door in the Super Eights. It is time to rejoice but underneath the surface all is not as it should be.

Except for the last three matches Pakistani team never looked like it had consistency and discipline to get past the Super Eight stage of the tournament.

The upcoming ICC Champions Trophy will be a much tougher format of 50 over ODI in which the Pakistani team can be expected to struggle.

T20 format is evolving and teams played differently in a marked contrast to the previous tournament. Sometime T20 can be like a lottery because it doesn’t give you much time to recover from a bad performance like in the 50-over ODI.

It is about time that PCB should start building team for the World Cup of 2011 as there isn’t much time left. Under-performing players should be shown the door while younger talent must be given enough chances. Better and consistent performers be allowed to consolidate their place in the team.

Abdul Razzaq and Kamran Akmal are not top batters as their records reflect, especially against the best attacks in the world. There are other unreliable performers as well, the likes of Salman Butt and Misbah-Ul-Haq. New batters like Shahzaib Hasan and Ahmed Shehzad did not seem to be bright prospects.

And then there is Shahid Afridi who has improved his bowling but his batting is deteriorating. He only batted well in the semifinal and final, obviously helping the team a lot, but still he has never been a consistent batter.

In bowling, Mohammad Aamir seems good but only time will tell if he is capable enough to stay longer in the team. Razzaq’s bowling is without any pace and swing and he might as well be bowling asleep. Shoaib Akhtar should hang up his boots now.

Unfortunately for Pakistan, PCB doesn’t seem to be in a team rebuilding exercise. On the flip side one wonders that where is the talent anyway as not many capable players seems to be coming up the ranks, in batting and bowling both, to take the team forward and win test series against major teams and World Cup in 2011.

Like the Pakistani team’s reputation, its future also appears unpredictable.